Eurolanche

On the eve of Invasion X

Those of you, who’ve read my book about Eurolanche know that some lines and sentences will repeat themselves… A long, long time ago, maybe in 2006, we had ethics at school. A class about how to behave in public and so on. The most by-the-book subject you could possibly imagine. For some reason, we had to tell the teacher our dreams and goals in life. My answer was easy – I wanted to go to a hockey game in Colorado. At the time, I viewed a trip to the US as climbing the mythical Mt. Olympus, something I wouldn’t come close to anytime soon. That didn’t keep the teacher to laugh at me in front of the entire class, because she didn’t view it as any life goal at all… Since then, I’ve been thinking back to this moment on the eve of each Eurolanche Invasion. I also remember that you can never give up and to go your way despite what others, mostly the negative people say.

Back then, more than ten years ago, I sat in the classroom and couldn’t care less about the reaction of my teacher and instead continued my daydreaming. I dreamt about a trip to Colorado to see Avalanche hockey in person. I couldn’t possibly imagine that I’d really get there in two years, nor that I’d return there eight times and that the number of trips I’d organize would climb up to ten in total. Ten Eurolanche Invasions. Nine trips for me personally. I’ve already attended 52 Avalanche games in Denver and two in Sweden. I’m going to attend seven more. It’s incredible.

It wasn’t always about hockey. My dream of ‘one day attending a Colorado Avalanche game’ didn’t just stay with this sentence. It evolved into an entirely new spectrum, which greatly affected my entire life. I wanted to fulfil this dream at all costs. I founded Eurolanche. I created the biggest community of NHL fans in the entire world. I got to know Peter Budaj. Thanks to him and other members, we went on our premiere voyage to Denver and ultimately returned on an annual basis. This is the work of a great number of people, not just me. Thanks to the trips, I improved my English. I learned how to organize trips. I learned what it’s like behind the scenes of the NHL. I learned a thing or two about PR and official communication as the “head representative of a company”. I learned how to communicate with athletes, managers, to give interviews to North American media…

It was what some would call the school of life, thanks to which I gained and still gain invaluable experience – thanks to which I began my professional career as a journalist for the most-read daily Slovak newspaper and was able to track down three kidnapped kids… Thanks to this, I am the head administrator of the official Facebook page of the Slovak Police. And so on and so on… Now do you see that it wasn’t just about hockey? It was really a dream of a lifetime, which gave me much, but which also came at a cost. Time, energy, finances, holidays, nerves… but this is what it’s like in everything else in life as well.

I’ll never forget the Eurolanche Invasion I. The endless wait for our flight. How endless it seemed and the problems we had. Our missed flight. The first real glimpse of Denver. The first night, falling asleep, the first game… During that time, those ten years ago, I’ve developed an addiction. No, I didn’t try marijuana, which was still illegal in Denver at the time. I tried Denver and Colorado. They became my drug. A drug, which still convinces me that it’s worth to return every year and to visit not only new, but old, well-known places as well. Colorado has its own, special atmosphere, its scenery and places, to which everyone develops a certain bond. Afterwards, it’s really hard to resist.

I dream about being in Denver, in Colorado multiple times per year. It’s a shame that it isn’t real. The wait provides a certain satisfaction – the wait for a Eurolanche Invasion after we’ve bought plane tickets. This wait usually lasts 4 to 6 months. It’s an awesome feeling to know that, despite the wait, you’ll return to your beloved city. Obviously, I don’t experience the same feelings I did prior to Invasion I, but I still feel incredible joy and can’t wait for the day we depart. As the days wind down, the euphoria grows. Up until we meet at the airport and the next Eurolanche Invasion can finally begin.

I could write about this topic over and over again. About the feelings, expectations, previous trips, good and bad experiences and memories. The fact that the Eurolanche Invasion project reaches the number ten makes it an unrivaled phenomenon. There just isn’t anything, anywhere, done solely by loyal, dedicated fans, which would take 58 Europeans to 63 NHL games. How many would get to Colorado if it wasn’t for Eurolanche or the Eurolanche Invasions? Would I even get there? Maybe I would, but not more than once.

On this occasion, allow me to thank each and every Eurolanche Invasion participant, whose approach ensured that the trip would be without any major problems, who could truly appreciate what they were able to do and to experience thanks to Eurolanche making a name for itself. A big thank you also goes out to our friends in the US, who still make sure that we’re comfortable and who make our program even more enjoyable. It wasn’t always easy and it wasn’t always without problems. That’s why a good group of people and the support from others are the cornerstones of every Invasion.

If you, our reader, are thinking about participating in a future Eurolanche Invasion, I’d say that there isn’t much to think about anymore. Much has been written. Many photos were taking. Dozens of minutes of videos were recorded. Dozens of articles have been written – by other media outlets as well. Now it’s solely up to you. Will you follow your goal, your dream and do everything it takes? On the path to every goal in life, the only obstacle you have to overcome is you yourself.

Basic information about the Eurolanche Invasion project, as well as information about the previous nine trips are available at Invasion.Eurolanche.com. If you’re considering taking part in a future Invasion and have any questions, please send them to us via eurolanche@eurolanche.com. Registration will be made available at a later date and every Fan Club member, who provided his email address in the signup form, will be notified via the provided email address.

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